Surprisingly, Xavi has announced his departure from Barcelona in the next five months, possibly anticipating an imminent dismissal. This decision follows Barcelona’s 5-3 home loss to Villarreal, adding to previous setbacks in the Copa del Rey and Supercopa, putting them in third place, behind Real and Girona. La Liga seems out of reach, and now Lewandowski’s team must fight for a Champions League spot against a resurgent Athletic.
THIAGO MOTTA AS THE MAIN CANDIDATE
The disappointing results led Xavi to discuss his future, confirming he will be leaving Barcelona. The race for his coveted spot has already begun in Catalonia. Potential replacements for Xavi’s position are Rafa Marquez and Thiago Motta, both former teammates. Marquez coaches Barcelona’s second team and enjoys Laporta’s support. Motta, on the other hand excelling with Bologna, brings immediate reliability.
Thiago Motta’s excellent work in Serie A so far has not gone unnoticed and many teams are looking at him for the future. All the Italian teams like Napoli, Roma, Milan will be looking for a new coach at the start of the season, and Motta will top some of these lists. But Barcelona has an advantage, Thiago Motta feels a special relationship with the team that he spent 6 years
THE DECO FACTOR
Marquez and Motta played alongside Deco, the influential figure at Barcelona. Marquez expressed interest, stating, “You can’t say no to an opportunity like this,” while Motta complimented Xavi’s work without explicitly throwing his hat into the ring.
